# Dead bodies breathing in movies/TV. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639 "2012-03-23T21:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/1 "2012-03-23T21:17:50Z")
Whenever I see a shot of an allegedly dead body in movies and television, I always get distracted by my compulsion to carefully watch it for signs of breathing (and often I can see it). Does anyone else do this? Do actors playing dead usually try to hold their breath at all? ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/2 "2012-03-23T21:33:36Z")
I know one place where you won’t - watching the scene with dead Boromir before they put him into the boat and ship him off the waterfall. They actually created a mannequin for that scene, and had their makeup and wig people do it all up to look lifelike (well, to look _deadlike_, which I suppose is not quite the same thing) so they didn’t have to CGI the shots with the cast, and the actor didn’t have to lay there in the boat for a million takes while he could be off shooting other scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Christopher_Robin_Davies)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/3 "2012-03-23T22:06:49Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Whenever I see a shot of an allegedly dead body in movies and television, I always get distracted by my compulsion to carefully watch it for signs of breathing (and often I can see it). Does anyone else do this? Do actors playing dead usually try to hold their breath at all? I do not notice this. It may be because I deliberately don’t focus on little details as that is likely to ruin the watching experience. I think part of watching a movie or tv show is knowing how to watch that is not letting yourself focus on irrelevant details. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/4 "2012-03-23T22:20:49Z")
Yep, I do it too. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/5 "2012-03-23T22:26:42Z")
I did not notice this until my husband pointed it out to me. Now I see it all the freaking time. Thanks honey. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/6 "2012-03-23T22:28:43Z")
> [@Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](#): > > I do not notice this. It may be because I deliberately don’t focus on little details as that is likely to ruin the watching experience. I think part of watching a movie or tv show is knowing how to watch that is not letting yourself focus on irrelevant details. I know, I know. But I can’t _help_ it! It’s a compulsion! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/7 "2012-03-23T22:29:37Z")
When I had a 4-head VCR I used to watch movie fight scenes in slow motion to see how much the punches missed by. Usually they missed by a lot. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/8 "2012-03-23T22:32:43Z")
I have once or twice slowed a DVD to watch the \*open \*eyes of “dead body”. I have not seen any case where the actor or director failed to make it look dead. I find it much more interesting to study the nipples of nudes to see if the director has switched to a body double. I’ve caught some really conspicuous cases in French movies. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/9 "2012-03-24T02:37:02Z")
The trouble with holding your breath is, you can’t do it forever (“method” acting only goes so far!), and you’ll eventually end up gasping in a whole lungful, which would be _really_ noticeable. Better to try to breathe shallowly, but that takes a lot of practice. I had a death scene in a movie, and the director told me the breathing wouldn’t be noticeable. If the ferschlugginer thing ever gets released, that’s what I’m going to be checking for most eagerly! ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/10 "2012-03-24T05:03:59Z")
If it’s a comedy, or a movie I’m not taking seriously, I look for breathing/blinking/flinching. Otherwise, I try not to. . ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/11 "2012-03-24T17:46:10Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I have once or twice slowed a DVD to watch the \*open \*eyes of “dead body”. I have not seen any case where the actor or director failed to make it look dead. > [@Sam\_A.Robrin](#): > > I had a death scene in a movie, and the director told me the breathing wouldn’t be noticeable. Yeah, usually they do a decent enough job of shooting it such that it’s not especially noticeable _unless_ you are specifically looking for it, which is what I do. I don’t know why I get such a cheap thrill from being able to say, “Ah ha! I saw her breathe!” ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/12 "2012-03-24T18:02:26Z")
Of course, I can’t find a link right now; however I seem to recall something about Hitchcock’s wife making him re-shoot Marian Crane’s death scene in Psycho, because she could see the dead character swallow. Can anyone back me up on this? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/13 "2012-03-24T19:25:16Z")
I’ve noticed it a few times, but it doesn’t normally bother me since I know the playing-dead actor has to breath somehow and it’s something you have to look very closely for. But there was once an old woman in one of the British mystery series–_Hetty Wainthropp Investigates_, I think it was. The character’s son had hit her in the head and left her for dead, but every time they cut back to her, she was not only obviously breathing, but swallowing occasionally and letting her eyelids flutter. I thought it was going to turn out that she was still alive and only had a concussion, but no, she was meant to be dead all the time and was just really bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/14 "2012-03-24T20:02:33Z")
I don’t look for it, but do sometimes notice it. If it’s really obvious, such that the people around them should have noticed, then it’s mildly annoying, but otherwise I don’t care. My daughter seems to catch every half-breath and eye-twitch. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/15 "2012-03-24T20:17:40Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Of course, I can’t find a link right now; however I seem to recall something about Hitchcock’s wife making him re-shoot Marian Crane’s death scene in Psycho, because she could see the dead character swallow. Can anyone back me up on this? People can say what they want, when I watch that scene it sure looks to me like she moved after she was dead. It’s been a while but didn’t she swallow or do something else with her neck postmortem that the tried to write off as a funny camera angle. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/16 "2012-03-24T20:23:09Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I have once or twice slowed a DVD to watch the \*open \*eyes of “dead body”. I have not seen any case where the actor or director failed to make it look dead. > > I find it much more interesting to study the nipples of nudes to see if the director has switched to a body double. I’ve caught some really conspicuous cases in French movies. Surprised they usually don’t use that stuff which dilates your pupils. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/17 "2012-03-25T01:33:55Z")
It used to not be a big issue. “Dead bodies” would only be shown at a distance for a second or two so it was easy for actors to fake it. But nowadays a lot of shows have scenes where “dead” people are shown in close detail for prolonged shots. I’ve read that some actors now make a living out of their ability to lie very still and play a convincing corpse. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/18 "2012-03-25T04:40:21Z")
I was in a play in high school where I got shot. The scene was far too long to hold my breath, so I just breathed as shallowly as I could. The director never mentioned it, and I doubt the audience would have cared anyway, but it just seemed the proper way to do it. I also went as glassy-eyed as I could, and let my mouth hang open and drool a bit. One has to be professional about such things, after all. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/19 "2012-03-25T04:49:42Z")
These days you can digitally fix something like that in most cases - replace breathing or eye motion with frames from before or after. I had to fix just such a thing with a visual effect recently, where I took a single frame of the actress’s chest and laid it over the top for the rest of the shot. Unfortunately there was a camera move, so there was some jiggery-pokery required to track it and adjust the perspective a little. Worked okay, though. ---
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bodies-breathing-in-movies-tv/616639/20 "2012-03-25T13:16:17Z")
I’ve never looked for dead bodies breathing, 'cause I always just assumed they would completely hide that somehow. But I remember one particular death scene in I think Boardwalk Empires (which has a shitload of death scenes) where less than five seconds later the corpse took a really obvious, full breath.